The present invention relates to tents in general and to exteriorly supported tents in particular.
The use of a tent as a place of abode probably predates human history. Even today some nomadic peoples continue to dwell in tents. Tents invoke images which are romantic and exciting, conjuring up images of Arabian Nights, Mongolian Hordes, and Native American villages. Even the uses to which tents are put in modern Western society, such as camping, exploring, military deployments, circuses, and outdoor parties, convey a sense of excitement. Undoubtedly it is because of both historical and modern uses of tents that they attract the imagination of children. Thus tents designed as toys for children have been developed.
A children""s tent may advantageously be designed to depict a covered wagon, a car or other vehicle. A tent in the shape of a vehicle has both the excitement associated with a small dwelling place and the excitement inherent in vehicles. Despite the many exciting possibilities of children""s tents, their appeal could be greatly increased if they could be linked to an aspect of popular culture.
The children""s play tent of this invention has the overall appearance and shape of the NASCAR vehicle. The tent is suspended between two sections of flexible pipe manufactured from PVC or fiberglass. The flexible tube sections cross, forming two gentle smooth curves which viewed from above form a flattened X. The ends of the rods or flexible pipes can fit into four pockets at the corners of the bottom on the tent, or they may be staked into the ground outwardly of, and away from the corners of the bottom. The bottom on the tent is a rectangle which has two parallel long sides and two parallel short sides. The bottom of the tent may be staked to the ground by eight loops. The tent has two sides which extend upwardly from the two long sides of the rectangle, the sides of the tent having the appearance of the sides of an automobile. The front bumper, the hood, the front windshield, the car top, the back window, rear spoiler and the rear bumper are formed by a single panel which is joined to the tent bottom and the tent sides. The driver""s side of the car has a door formed by a zipper. A screen flap within the door forms a second screen door. Additional ventilation is provided by screen panels which underlie flaps forming the front and rear windshields.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tent for children which has the shape of a car.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tent which maybe made to look like a NASCAR vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tent on which advertising slogans and labels may be placed.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a children""s tent which can be used both indoors and outdoors.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a tent which can be used for play and for camping.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a tent which is simply exteriorly supported.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.